Colossians 4

Study Guide Questions for Ch. 4

If you are looking for the beginning of the study for the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Colossians then you can go HERE for a brief introduction. At the bottom of the introduction you will find the links to each section of the study guide as it becomes available. If you would like to see the growing list of book studies available for free on this site you can go HERE. Enjoy!

Virtues/Vices/Great Ideas: (Find them in the Text)

Justice, Prudence

Grammar Questions: (The Information of the Text)

1. What did Paul instruct masters to do concerning their bondservants?

2. What two things did Paul command/ask for the Colossians to do with their prayers?

3. How did Paul tell the believers they should behave towards “outsiders?”

4. For what purpose was Tychicus’ sent to the Colossian Christians?

5. What did Paul say about Onesimus in relation to the church at Colossae?

6. What was Aristarchus’ situation?

7. What made Aristarchus, Mark, and Jesus (Justus) unique among Paul’s companions?

8. What commendation did Paul make on behalf of Epaphras?

9. What additional instructions did Paul give concerning this letter and another letter that had been sent to Laodicea?

10. What was Archippus specifically charged to do?

Logic Questions: (Interpreting, Comparing/Contrasting, Reasoning)

1. What was Paul’s purpose in reminding “masters” that they also have a “master?”

2. What did Paul mean when he charged the Colossians to make “the best use of the time?”

3. What did Paul mean by telling the Colossians that their speech should be “seasoned with salt?” 

4. Why might it have been an added comfort for Paul to have three men with him “of the circumcision?”

5. What importance might we infer from the fact that Paul directed the Colossians to circulate the letter he sent to them and also to read the one sent to Laodicea?

6. What should be inferred from the fact that Paul said, “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand?”

Rhetoric Questions: (The Analysis of Ideas in the Text)

1. Paul charged the Colossian Christians to “walk in wisdom toward outsiders.” What, practically, does this look like? How can we develop the skills of interacting with non-Christians in a wise way? What guiding rules might we establish to help us exercise wisdom around non-Christians?

2. Paul asks for prayer that he might be able to “declare the mystery of Christ” saying that he had an obligation to make it clear to his hearers. How do we develop the skills necessary to be clear communicators? How much time and work should we put on into developing the skills of being clear communicators? What are the different modes of communication which we ought to develop? Are all of those modes equally important?

3. Clearly Paul wrote a letter to the church in Laodicea (c.f. Col. 4:16). Possibly he wrote many other letters to many churches. Should we be concerned that we don’t have all of those letters today? Why or why not?

Theological Analysis: (Sola Scriptura)

1. Paul said that it is the responsibility of believers to “know how you ought to answer each person.” Read 1 Peter 3:14-17. How does what Peter commanded compliment Paul’s command? Does it provide any additional context that is helpful for understanding the believer’s responsibility towards “outsiders?”

2. Read the New Testament epistle of Philemon (just one short chapter). What was Paul’s goal concerning Onesimus?

3. Read Revelation 3:14-22. What do we learn about the state of the church in Laodicea some years later (perhaps as late as 95 A.D.) after this letter from Paul?